AMERICAN   MUSEUM   OF    NATURAL  HISTORY 


Peruvian    Mummies 


By    CHARLES    W.    MEAD 

Department  of  Ethnology 


GUIDE    LEAFLET    NO.    24 


MARCH,     1907 


\ 


-Ari;»' 


Peruvian    Mummies 

AND    WHAT    THEY    TEACH 


A     GUIDE    TO    EXHIBITS    IN    THE    PERUVIAN    HALL 


By    CHARLES    W.    MEAD 

DEPARTMENT  OF  ETHNOLOGY 


NO.    24 

OF  THE 

GUIDE     LEAFLET    SERIES 

OF  THE 

AMERICAN  MUSEUn  OF  NATURAL   HISTORY 

EDMUND    OTIS     HOVEY,    EDITOR 

New  York.      Published  by  the  fluseum.      .'larch,   1907 


NORTH 


PERUVIAN    HALL    NO.    302. 
Gallery    Floor,   West   Wing. 

PRESENT  LOCATION  OF  THE  OBJECTS  DESCRIBED  IN  THIS 

LEAFLET. 

CASE 

]Muiiiiny  bundles       .  . U  27 

Mummies  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     U  27 

Prayer  sticks     ...........  R  4-5 

Mummified  animals  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     U  27 

Tre])hined  skulls       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     LT  26 

Skull  Collection U  26 

Implements  of  war  and  the  chase     .         .         .         .         .         .         .     U  21 

(Jold  and  silver  objects     .........  A 

Baskets,  mats  and  nets     ........        R  17-18 

Cloths U  1 

ISIaterials  and  implements  used  in  weaving       .....  B 

Quipus,  or  Record  Fringes       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .Rl,2 

Coca  leaves  and  outfit  for  chewing  .         .         .         .         .         .     R  11 

Pottery  U  9,  10,  11,  12  and  D,  E,  F 

Chicha  jars  .         .         .         .         .On  toj)  of  U  1,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  27 

Collection  from  the  West  Indies        .         .         .         .         .         .         .       U  2 

^Musical  Instruments  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         .     U  25 

"U"  refers  to  the  upright  cases;  "R,"  to  the  railing  cases. 

4 


PERUVIAN    MUMMIES    AND    WHAT    THEY    TEACH. 


By  Ciimu.ks  \V.  .Mkvd, 

Depart  mini  oj  Etlitiologij. 

VS(\\\\'V  Peru,  the  hiiid  of  the  lueiis,  euniprised  not 
only  the  re^iion  incliuleil  within  the  present  Republic 
of  Peru,  but  also  the  greater  part  of  Ecuador,  Bolivia 
and  Chile  and  was  about  equal  to  that  portion  of  the 
United  States  Iviny;  east  of  the  Rockv  Mountains.  The 
Incas  proper  were  a  powerful  tribe  of  warlike  people 
inhal)itini>;  the  (>Teat  central  plateau,  from  which  dominating  position 
they  extended  their  conquest  in  all  directions.  They  developed  a 
much  higher  order  of  civilization  than  was  foiuid  in  other  parts  of  the 
continent  by  the  early  European  explorers,  and  the  empire  under  their 
sway  included  many  tribes  speaking  difi'erent  dialects. 

The  historv  of  the  Ancient  Peruvians  must  to  a  large  de{):ree  be  read 
in  their  graves,  since  they  left  no  written  records  and  the  Spanish  con- 
queror destroved  many  of  their  cities  and  suppressed  their  customs. 
Like  many  other  peoples  the  Peruvians  bestowed  nuuli  tender  care  on 
their  dead,  carefully  preparing  them  for  burial  and  placing  with  them 
in  the  ground  many  objects  which  were  dear  to  thciu  in  life.  Methods 
of  burial  are  so  intimatelv  connected  with  the  reli":ioiis  and 

other  customs  of  a  people  that   in   the  absence  of  other       Importance 

„  .    „  .  ,  ,  ,  of  the 

sources  of  mtormntion  a  study  ot  graves  or  tombs  may  be  Burials 

expected  to  lead  to  important  results.  Fortunately  foi-  the 
archa'ologist,  climatic  conditions  in  some  parts  of  Peru  ai-c  such  that 
"burials"  have  been  well  pi'cserved.  The  region  west  of  the  Peru- 
vian Cordillera,  a  narrow  strip  idong  the  coast,  is  in  the  main  a  desert. 
the  only  fertile  spots  being  the  narrow  valleys  of  the  small  rivei-s  flow- 
ing dow'n  to  the  Pacific'  'I'he  tombs  and  graves  are  usually  found 
on  elevated  ])laces  outside  of  the  valleys  where  the  extreme  drvness  of 
the  air  combines  wiili  tiie  nitrons  character  of  the  ^and,  into  which 
moisture  has  seldom  found  its  way.  to  ih-siccate  and  prescixc  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  thus  nnnnmifying  them  nalnralb.       The  same  factors  have 

'The  \isit()r  is  rclericil  to  tlic  wWvi  iiia|)  dI  Soiiili  Aiiicrii'a  on  tlu'  Ktt  as  lu' 
enters  the  hall  tor  a  dear  exposition  of  the  topographic  features  of  the  rt'gioii. 


8  AMERICAX  MUSEUM  GUIDE  LEAFLETS 

caused  the  clothing  and  objects  pUiced  with  the  dead  to  l)e  preserved  for 
many  centuries. 

As  a  rule  the  bodies  were  })repare(l  for  burial  by  placing  them  in  a 

sitting  position  with  the  knees  drawn  up  and  the  head  and  hands  resting 

U{)on  them,  as  is  shown  in  the  right-hand  figure  on  page  0.       Sometimes, 

however,  as  appears  from  burials  in  the  Chira  Valley,  in 

for  Burial        '''^  extreme  northwest  of  Peru,  the  body  was  extended  at 

full  length.     A  few  of  the  extended  bodies  have  been  found 

in  other  ]>arts  of  the  country,  and  two  examples  of  this  form  from  Surco, 

Peru,  are  in  the  collection.     After  the  body  was  placed  in  position,  it 

was  enveloped  in  wra})})ings  of  various  kinds.     Sometimes  the  V)ody  was 

covered  with  fine  cotton  cloth,  over  which  were  placed  finely  woven 

blankets  or  ponchos  of  the  wool   of  the  vicuna   or  the  alpaca,   with 

designs  in  various  colors. 

The  body  and  its  wrappings  were  bountl  together  by  a  net-work  of 
stout  cord  of  vegetable  fibre;  by  a  piece  of  strong  cloth  sewed  together 
in  the  form  of  a  closed  sack,  or  in  some  localities  bv  a  casing;  of  woven 
rushes.  The  "mummy  bundle"  was  surmounted  by  the  so-called 
"false  head,"  which  was  sewed  to  its  upper  surface.  The  significance 
of  this  practice  is  unknown.  These  false  heads,  many  of  which  are 
present  in  the  collection,  were  made  of  cloth  and  filled  with  different 
vegetable  substances.  The  face  was  represented  in  various  ways: 
sometimes  by  a  mask  of  wood  or  clay,  but  often  the  eyes,  nose 
Bundles  ^"^^  mouth  were  made  of  wood,  shell,  gold  or  silver  and  fast- 
ened directly  to  the  cloth  by  means  of  thread.  To  the  out- 
side of  the  mummy  bundle  were  often  attached  several  of  the  prayer 
sticks  or  sepulchral  tablets  which  are  frequently  found  in  considerable 
nmnbers  in  the  sand  about  the  grave.  These  are  either  in  the  form 
of  a  cross  wound  with  variously  colored  yarns,  or  a  framework  of  spht 
reeds,  covered  with  cloth  upon  which  rude  designs  are  painted.  Favor- 
ite animals  were  sometimes  buried  with  the  dead  as  is  shown  by  the 
mununified  bodies  of  a  dog  and  a  parrot  in  the  collection. 

The  manner  of  interment  of  the  mummy  bundle  and  its  accompani- 
ments differed  in  various  localities.  Tn  the  coast  region  many  of  the 
Huacas  "T'lumies  are  found  in  little  vaults,  or  "huacas,"  of  adobes  or 
flat  .stones  roofed  with  sticks  or  canes,  overlaid  with  mats  or  a 
layer  of  rushes,  which  prevented  the  earth  covering  from  filling  the 
grave.     These  vaults  usuallv  contain  from  one  to  four  Ixxlics. 


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mi:. ID,  i'i:i{rri.\.\  miwimii-.s  n 

Burials  in   stone  towers  or  "cliulpas"  seem   to  liave  heeii  coiifiiied 

chiefly  to  the  Avinara   Indians  of  the  ( 'allao,  the  <;reat  j)lateau  of  the 

Andes  wliieh  ineludes  the  basin  of  Lake  'l^itieaea  and  lies  l)et\veen  the  two 

maritime  conhlleras  and  the  eastern  ranjje,  out  of  which  rise  the  lofty 

volcanic  peaks  of  Illiniaiii  and  Sorata.      In  i)lan  these  chulj)as  are  either 

circular  or  rectangular  and  ai-e  sj)oken  of  as  round  or  s(|uare  towers. 

A  round   biuMal  tower  is  shown  on   j)a<!;e  2.      Dr.   von  Tschudi  found 

chulpas  in   the  Department  of  Juuin,  which   may  have  been   built   by 

Aymara  mitimaes,  or  translated  colonies.     Describing  the  burial  towers 

near  Palca,  E.  G.  Sender  savs:  ^    "  Priniarilv  these  chulpas        _,    , 

1  "  .         .  •  '  Chulpas 

consisted  of  a  cist,  or  excavation,  in  the  ground  about  foni- 
feet  deep  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  walled  uj)  with  rough  stones.  A 
rude  arch  of  converging  and  overla])ping  stones,  filled  in  or  cemented 
together  with  clay,  was  raised  over  this  cist,  with  an  opening  barely 
large  enough  to  admit  the  bodv  of  a  man,  on  a  level  with  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  tow'ards  the  east.  ()\er  this  hollow  cone  was  raised  a 
solid  mass  of  clay  and  stones,  wdiich,  in  the  ])articular  c-hulpa  I  am  now 
describing  as  a  type  of  the  whole,  was  1(5  feet  high,  rectangular  in 
plan,  7i  feet  face  by  6  feet  on  the  sides.  I'he  surface  had  been  rough- 
cast with  clay,  and  over  this  was  a  layer  of  finer  and  more  tenacious 
clay  or  stucco,  presenting  a  smooth  and  even  surface." 

One  of  the  most  remarkal)le  s])ecimens  that  tlie  Deparlmcnt  of 
h^.thnoloo'V  has  acciuircd  is  a  naturallv  mnmnn'ficcl  bodv  which  was 
found  in  an  old  copj)er  mine  at  Chu(|uicamata,  l'i'o\incc  of  Antofagasta, 
Chile,  and  which  is  illustrated  on  page  10.  The  condition  of  the  body 
shows  that  the  imfortunate  nn'nei'  was  caught  by  a  cave-in  of  the  roof 
and  j)ardy  crushed.  The  mummification  seems  to  have  been  pi'oduced 
in  part  bv  the  action  of  copper  salts  and  not    to  liaxc  liccii  allogcliici'  a 

desiccation  due  to  the  di'vness  of  the    region.     The  skin  has 

,,,,,'.,  •       £.         1  11  Natural 

not  collapsed  on  the  l)ones,  as  ui  the  nnunimes  tound  usually       Mummv 

in  the  re<£ion,  but  the  Ixxlv  and  liml)s  ni'eserve  ncai"l\'  their 
natural  form  and  pri»|)()rli()iis,  except  for  tlie  crushnig  ahcadx  men- 
tioned. No  analysis  has  ycl  bccii  made  of  the  tissues,  so  dial  il  is  loo 
early  to  hazard  an\'  supposition  as  to  the  chemical  changes  which  they 
have  under<»'one.  Mines  mi  diis  neii'hborhood  liaxc  been  worked  for 
an    unknown    lengili    of    tune    upon    a    peiiihai'  ileposit    of  alaeamile,   a 

'  Sciuier's  I'ciu,  p.  '_'l.'i. 


12 


JMKRICAX  MUSKi'M  dUWE  LEAFLETS 


Weapons  and 
Implements 


hydrous  chloride  of  copper,  which  is  much  prized  on  account  of  its 
easy  reduction.  The  age  of  tlie  nuuumy  is  unknown,  but  it  is  sup- 
posed to  he  pre-(\)hunbian. 

The  story  told  by  the  objects  found  with  the  Peruvian  dead  is  in  part 
the  storv  of  ancient  Peruvian  life.     The  ol)iects  in  the 
I'cruvian    collection    in  the  hall,  most  of    which  have 
come   from  graves  and  mummy  bun- 
dles, have  been  arranged  so  as  to  tell 
part  of  this  story.      For  example  we 
find  with  the  bodies  of  men  slings  for 
throwing    stones,    stone-headed    clu))s 
and  l)olas   (rounded  stones  joined  l)y 
cords),  showing  the  weapons  and  im- 
plements of  war  and  the  chase.     With 
the  mummy  bundle  of  the  woman  have 
been    found   work-baskets,  filled  with 
threads   and  yarns  of    various  colors, 
needles  of  thorn  and  copper,  the  im- 
plements   used    in    weaving,   such    as 
spindles    and    shuttles,   or    the  stones 
used   in  smoothing  and  polishing  the 
outside  of  pottery  vessels.     Woman's 
work  in  ancient  Peru  is  indicated  by 
the    presence    or    absence    of    oljjects 
familiar    to    us    of    the    present    day. 
Corn,    beans    and    other    foods    were 
usually  placed  beside  the  body  in  the 
grave,  together  with    vessels    used   in 
eating  and  drinking.      These   objects 
indicate  not    alone    the   belief  of   the 
EAR  OF  CORN.    FOUND  WITH  A  MUMMY      peoplc  iu  afuturc  workl  and  the  ne- 
cessity of   sustaining  the   s])irit   in  its 
journey  thereto,  but  they  also  show  that  the  people  were  well  advanced 
in  agriculture,  and   we  are  enabled  to  determine  the  kinds  of  ])lants 
cultivated  and  in  many  cases  even  the  methods  by  which  they  were  pre- 
pared for  use. 

Furthermore  the  ol)jects  found  in  the  graves  prove  that  in  the  working 
of  copper,  silver  and  gold  the  ancient   Peruvians  take  high   rank,  and 


CUP  OF  BEATEN  GOLD  AND  STRING  OF  GOLD  BEADS 


13 


mi:. in,  /'/•.'/iTiv.i.v  mcmmif.s  15- 

sliow  that  the  peoplt'  knew  how  to  ('xph)it  and  treat  the  ores  oceiirrini!; 
in  their  hiiitl.      Among  copper  iinjileiiients  there  may  l)e  seen 
in  the  collection  a  great   variety  of  spear  points,  clulvheads,       _ 
digging  and  jjlanting  implements,  knives  and  axes.     Tweez- 
ers are  among  the  most  familiar  oi)jects  from  the  graves,  and  are  often 
found  suspended  from  the  neck  of  a  iniuuiny  by  means  of  a  cord. 

Some  of  the  most  notable  of  the  gold  objects  are  a  ctij)  beaten  from 
a  single  piece,  and  ornamented  in  repousse-work;  human  and  animal 
figures,  both  solid  and  hollow,  and  beads  and  j:)ins.  The  illustration 
on  page  13  shows  the  gold  cup  and  a  string  of  large  gold  beads.  In 
silver  there  are  cups  and  vessels  which,  like  the  gold  cup,  are  beaten 

from   single  pieces  and   are  often  ornamented   with  human 

,    f.  Ill-  o'l  •         Gold  and 

or  animal  ngures    and    other  designs.      Silver    tweezers  in         silver 

many  fanciful  forms,  pins  and  a  variety  of  ornaments  have 
been  found  in   and  with   the  mummy  bundles.     These   objects  prove 
that  the  makers  were  familiar  with  the  processes  of  casting  in  moulds, 
beating  and  soldering.     Many  of  the  hollow  figurines  were  made  in  three 
or  more  pieces  and  the  parts  soldered  together. 

Another  remarkable  class  of  objects  is  to  be  found  on  the  right  as 
one  enters  the  hall.  Here  are  many  garments  and  pieces  of  cloth  which 
were  found  wrapped  around  the  dead  or  deposited  in  the  graves.  A 
glance  at  this  part  of  the  collection  will  .show  the  ancient  Peruvians 
had  great  skill  in  the  art  of  weaving.  Upon  closer  examination  it  will 
appear  that  they  were  familiar  with  most  of  the  weaves  known  lo  modern 
people,  from  the  finest  gobelins  to  the  coarsest  cotton  cloth.  Many  of 
the  specimens  cannot  be  excelled  at  the  present  time.  The  looms  used 
were  of  the  simplest  description,  consisting  of  two  cro.ss- 
sticks,  one  at  the  top,  and  the  other  at  the  bottom.  The  ^ 
warp  threads  were  stretched  from  one  to  the  other,  while 
the  woof  or  filling  was  passed  over  and  inidci-  these  by  a  shuttle.  So 
the  weaving  of  these  most  perfect  fabrics  may  be  said  (o  haxc  Itccu  by 
hantl.  In  this  i"cs])ect  they  may  stand  in  contrast  to  the  modern 
machine  methods.  In  addition  to  the  excellence  of  wca\c  Peruvian 
cloth  is  imicjue  in  decoration.  The  designs  ar(>  woven  in  and  con- 
sist of  geometric  figiu'es  and  conN-entionalized  r('j)re.sen(alions  of  men. 
pumas,  jaguars  and  various  kinds  of  birds  and  (ish.  Some  of  the  forms 
are  illustrated  on  page  Hi.  .V  part  of  llic  dccoraiixc  elfect  is  (hic  to 
the  regular  repetition  of  die  same  design  in  dill'erent  colors. 


16 


IMFJilCAX  Ml'SECM  ('.VIDE  LEAFLETS 


That  the  Peruvian  shoiihl  also  take  high  rank  as  a  potter  will  be 
gathered  from  even  a  superficial  study  of  the  collection  of  all  forms  of 
potterv  at  the  west  end  of  the  hall,  since  many  of  the  vessels  show  real 
beauty  of  outline  and  form  and  excellence  in  their  painted  decoration. 
These  qualities  seem  the  more  remarkable  when  we  consider  that  the 


fn<ryf^ 


PIECES  OF  CLOTH    FOUND   WITH    MUMMIES 

makers  had  no  knowledge  of  the  potter's  wheel  and  wtTc  unac(|uainted 
p  with  the  art   of  glazing.     Some  of  the  vessels  were  shaped  by 

iiaiid,  but  others  show  that  they  were  formed  ])y  means  of 
moulds.  The  body  was  moulded  in  two  parts  which  were  joined  by 
being  pre.ssed  together.  Spout  or  handle,  if  desired,  was  then  attached, 
and  all  irregularities  in   the  junctures  remedied  by  scraping  and  rub- 


POTTERY  WATER-JAR  WITH   CORN   DECORATION 


17 


MKAI).  I'KHnuy  Mr  MM  IKS 


19 


binf»;.  Moulds  were  often  used  in  inakinn-  nian\-  of  die  animal  lieatls 
and  human  figures  that  adorn  these  vessels.  The  decoration  Avas  put 
on  \\itli  paint,  and,  after  firing,  the  vessels  were  polished  \>\'  rul)l)ing 
with  a  smooth  pebble. 

In  the  absence  of  an  aboriginal  written  languat>e  in  Peru  and  on 
account  of  the  nieagreness  of  the  descriptions  left  by  the  first  Europeans 
who  visited  the  country,  it  is  fortunate  for  the  student  of  Peruvian  archje- 
■ology  that  the  potter  often  represented  by  the  shape  of  his  vessel  or  in  its 


POTTERY  VESSEL  WITH   PAINTED   DECORATION 


decoration  forms  and  customs  which  were  familiar  to  him  in  his  evciy- 
■day  life. 

Representations  of  the  human  figure  arc  connuon.  Some  of  these 
show  the  manner  of  wearing  the  poncho  and  other  articles  of  clothing. 
Some  have  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear  the  large  cylindrical  car-oi-nameiUs 
which  led  the  Spaniards  to  nickname  these  j)eople  "()i'e- 
jones" — big  ears.      It   would   be  im])ra('ticable,  however,  to 


Human 
figures 


mention  here  more  than  a  few  of  the  subjects  depicted.     ( )n 

one  vessel  a  man  piu'sues  and   kills  a  deer  with   a  spear;  on  anothei-  a 

hunter  is  returm'n<r  \\ith   the   bo(l\-  of  a   deei-  thrown  across   his  shoni- 


20  AMKlilC.lX  Mi  SEC M  cl'lDE  LEAFLETS 

ders.  Some  jars  show  tlie  manner  of  ('atcliini>;  fish  In-  means  of  hook 
and  Hue,  while  others  portray  men  and  women  carrying  water  jars  and 
other  hnrdens  by  means  of  a  strap  passing  around  the  forehead.  Here 
we  see  a  man  with  liis  favorite  l)ird,  evidently  of  the  parrot  family, 
perched  upon  his  shoulder;  there  a  dance  in  progress,  with  several  of 
the  figures  playing  upon  nuisical  instruments. 

These  potters  were  very  fond  of  moulding  their  clay  into  animal 
forms,  and  they  have  left  us  more  or  less  truthful  representations  of 
many  of  the  species  familiar  to  them.  Their  favorite  models  appear  to 
have  l)een  the  puma,  jaguar,  monkey,  llama,  Guinea-pig, 
figures  lizards,  birds  of  the  parrot  family,  the  king  vulture  and  a 
number  of  shells  and  vegetable  forms.  A  complete  list  would 
include  most  of  the  animal  and  many  of  the  vegetable  forms  of  Peru. 

Everywhere,  except  in  the  most  elevated  parts  of  the  country,  maize 

was  not  only  the  staple  food  of  the  people,  but  also  was  the  source  of 

their  favorite  intoxicating  beverage, —  chicha;   hence  it  was  but  natural 

that  they  should  so  often  represent  the  grain  on  their  vessels.     This 

was  very  simplv  and  perfectlv  accomplished.     A  mould  was 
Chicha  ,     „  "^  ^  '        ,  ,'    ,  •    i  •      ,  ,.      ,       t 

made  from  an  ear  oi  corn  and  dried  m  the  sun  or  hred.     Into 

this  clay  \vas  pressed;  which  on  ])eing  removed  would  be  a  facsimile  of 
the  ear.  This  was  joined  to  the  jar  while  both  were  still  in  a  plastic- 
condition,  after  which  the  whole  was  fired  and  polished.  A  corn  jar 
is  represented  in  the  illustration  on  page  17. 

Although  this  guide  relates  chiefly  to  burials,  it  may  not  be  out  of 

place  to  call  attention  to  some  peculiarities  of  Peruvian  skulls.     The 

skulls  of  all  races  are  of  great  scientific  value,  but  those  of  Peru  are  of 

particular  interest,  because  many  of  them  bear  the  marks  of  surgical  or 

sacrificial  operations.     The  Museum  collection  of  Peruvian 

,    ..  skulls  is  so  extensive  that  only  a  representative  series  is  on 

exhibition.  This  contains  many  examples  show^ing  tre- 
phining, artificial  deformation  and  pathological  conditions,  together 
with  several  normal  Peruvian  skulls  for  ])m'poses  of  comparison. 

In  Peru,  where  stones  from  slings  and  wooden  clubs  with  heads  of 
stone  and  copper  were  the  common  oft"ensi\-e  weapons,  complex  fractures 
of  the  skull  with  depression  of  its  bony  plates  must  have  been  common. 
There  seems  no  reason  to  (loul)t  that  trephining  was  resorted  to  as  a 
means  of  relief  in  such  fractures,  and  that  sometimes  cures  w'ere  effected 
by  this  treatment.      It    is  also   prol)able  that   the  o])eration    in  many 


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MEAD,  PERUVIAN  MUMMfFS  23 

cases  was  a  part  of  some  religious  ceremonial,  since  some  of  the  tre- 
phined skulls  in  the  collection  show  distinct  orientation  of  the  wound 
and  j)resent  no  indication  of  lesion.  Implements  of  copper  and  bronze 
and  knives  of  stone  and  obsidian  must  have  been  employed  in  the  opera- 
tion, which  was  performed  with  skill. 

Artificial  deformation  of  the  head  was  extensively  practised  in  ancient 
Peru  and  w^as  accomplished  by  means  of  ligatures  ai)plied  in  infancy. 
The  form  taken  by  the  head  was  determined  by  the  manner  in  which 
these  bindings  were  applietl.  The  pathological  skulls  show  tiie  ravages 
of  disease  in  the  bones  of  the  cranium. 


THE  QUIPU. 

The  Quipu  is  a  fringe  consisting  of  a  main  cord  w'ith  other  cords 
of  various  colors  hanging  from  it.  In  the  fringe  knots  of  different  kinds 
were  tied.  The  ancient  Peruvians,  having  no  written  language,  made 
use  of  the  (juipu  to  keep  their  accounts  and  ])ossibly  to  record  historic 
incidents.  By  the  color  of  the  cord,  the  kind  of  knot,  the  distance  of 
the  knots  from  the  main  cord  and  from  each  other,  many  facts  could 
he  recorded  and  preserved.  The  maker  of  a  cjuipu  had  a  system  which 
was  to  a  great  extent  arbitrary,  and  which  had  to  be  explained  when  the 
(piipu  was  ])laced  in  the  keeping  of  another. 


COCA  CHEWL\(;. 

The  coca  ])Iant  {KrtjiJn-o.vijloii  coca.  Lam.)  grows  wild  in  tlic  moun- 
tainous regions  of  Pern  and  Bolivia  and  was  cultivated  before  the  ('on- 
(piest,  as  it  is  to-day,  in  districts  from  2,()()()  to  r),()()()  feet  above  the  sea. 
It  is  valued  for  its  stimulating  narcotic  ])roperties,  and  the  j)resent 
Indians  will  often  carry  heavy  burdens  for  several  days  without  food, 
if  furnished  with  a  plentiful  ^np|)ly  of  coca.  The  leaves  are  gathered 
and  dried  in  the  sun  and  then  chewed  mixed  with  nnslacketl  lime  in 
the  same  way  the  betel  is  used  by  the  Kast  Indians.  A  bag  of  coca 
teaves  is  almost  always  found  witli  a  nnninny.  The  leaves  of  this  plant, 
together  with  the  cloth  bags  in  which  they  were  carried  and  llic  gonid 
flasks  containing  lime  may  be  seen  in  tiie  collection 


n. 


24  AMERICAN  MUSEUM  GUIDE  LEAFLETS 


INIISCELLANEOUS  EXHIBITS. 

This  gallerv'  contains  many  exhibits,  some  of  them  very  important, 
of  which  no  special  mention  has  been  made,  since  it  is  believed  that  the 
case  labels  and  the  guide  leaflets  attached  to  the  cases  will  furnish 
the  desired  information  to  the  student  and  visitor.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  the  collection  from  the  West  Indies,  the  musical  instru- 
ments of  the  Incas,  the  case  containing  a  great  variety  of  animal  forms 
in  ])ottery;  collections  of  feather-work  from  Peru,  Bolivia,  Paraguay 
and  Brazil,  and  the  collection  from  Columbia  consisting  of  many  objects 
in  pottery,  stone  and  shell. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  followiny;  books  will  be  found  useful  to  those  who  w^ish  to 
study  South  American  Archaeology  and  they  may  be  consulted  on  ap- 
plication to  the  librarian  of  the  Museum. 

Vega,    Garcilasso    de    la.     The    Royal    Commentaries    of    Peru.     Ed. 

Rycaut,  Lcjudon,   1688. 
Cieza  de  Leon,  Pedro  de.     Chronicle  of  Peru,  Part  I.     (Hakluyt  Society.) 

London,  1864. 
Andagoya,    Pascual    de.     Narrative    of    the    Proceedings    of    Pedrarias 

Davila.     (Hakluyt  Society.)     London,  1865. 
Prescott,  William  H.     History  of  the  Conquest  of  Peru.     London,  1847. 
Herndon    and    Gibbon.      Exploration   of    the   Valley   of    the   Amazon. 

Washington,  1853. 
Frezier,  IVIoNSiEUR.     A  Voyage  to  the  South  Sea  and  iVlong  the  Coast 

of  Chili  and  Peru.     Ivondon,   1717. 
WiivMi'EK,  Edward.     Travels  Amongst  the  Great  Andes  of  the  Equator. 

New  York,  1892. 
Hutchinson,  Thomas,  Jr.     Two  Years  in  Peru,  with  Explorations  of  its 

Antifjuities.     London,  1873. 
Squier,  E.  G.     Incidents  of  Travels  and  Explorati(Mis  in  the  L;ind  of  tlie 

Incas.     New  Y(jrk,   1877. 
Wiener,  Charles.     Perou  et  Bolivic     Paris,  1880. 
Reiss  and  Stuebel.     The  Necropolis  of  Ancon.     Ed.  Keane,  New  York, 

1887. 
B/ESsler,  Arthur.     Ancient  Peruvian  Art.     New  York,  1903. 
Stuebel  and  Uhle.     Die  Ruinenstiltte  von  Tiahuanaco.     Breslau,  1892. 
Holmes,  William  H.     Textile  Art  in  its  Relation  to  the  Development  of 

Form   and   Ornament.     Annual    H('])()rt    liureau   Amer.    Ethnology, 

1884-85. 
Stuebel,    Reiss    and    Koppel.     Siidamerikanische  Volker.     (Alte  Zeit.) 

Berlin,y889. 


The  American  Huseum  Journal 


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